Communication: More Than Liking to Talk

I’ve met my fair share of people who love to talk. And some of them, because of their propensity to jabber, fancy themselves as great communicators. But communicating effectively is more than just being able to talk a lot.

Yes, speaking may be involved, but communication is more than just spouting out more words. Communication entails that the recipients of the message actually understand what the speaker is trying to convey.

It also goes the other way. The communicator needs to be able to understand the feedback they’re receiving. It could be as direct as questions or comments, or as indirect as shifts in body language. But whatever the response is, a good communicator knows how to properly interpret it and adjust accordingly to make sure the message connects.

We wouldn’t consider a quarterback great based solely on the number of pass attempts he has per game. It’s the completions we care about. And sometimes he has to scramble to get them. Similarly, talking a lot doesn’t equate to being a great—or even good—communicator. It’s all about whether the intended message gets caught.